The End of the Beginning
by Mebrireth
Summary: AU set in modern day- The discovery of an ancient civilization sparks off a disastrous chain of events, and the only ones who can stop this new evil are those that have faced it before.
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: Well, after a small hiatus, I have returned with the new story I promised. This is the first AU I have attempted, and though I will keep it as canonically accurate as possible it must be read with somewhat of an open mind. So with that said, I'll make the usual disclaimers, all recognizable characters and places are the property of JRR Tolkien. Please do not hesitate to review, even constructive criticism, as all writers can thrive on that. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Logan snapped the newspaper shut and threw it down on the table. It was as they had feared, and this recent article was only helping to confirm the worst.

Logan sat back and passed a hand over his face, letting it rest over his mouth. He was tired, and he did not even want to think about all that this new discovery might imply.

But would it really be that bad?

So what if they had uncovered the ruins of an old volcano, that did not mean they would be able to discover its dark secrets, the terrible past it held.

No, there was a good chance nothing would really come out of this. He knew enough now to know that the most rational explanation was the most popular and that if the truth was beyond reason, it would simply be refused.

What did it matter that Mount Doom had been found?

The phone rang, cutting into Logan's dark thoughts. He pushed his chair away from the table and rose to answer it. But with his hand hovering over the receiver, he decided at the last minute to let the machine answer. The answering machine clicked on and Logan listened.

"Hey Logan, it's Dan," said a familiar voice. He could hear laughter in the background and an unbidden smile came to Logan's lips. "Roger made me call to tell you that we got the last DVD. He claims it's yet another theatrical masterpiece and that you have to come over to watch it with the new speakers even though I keep telling him we dragged you to enough showings of it while it was still in theaters."

The speaker broke off and there was the sound of muffled voices and shuffling in the background before Dan came back on. There was a sigh, "And he keeps saying that you'll be amazed by the clarity of the picture even though I say it makes no difference..."

More scuffling with the phone. Bits of conversation came to Logan like, "I'm not letting you talk" and "Your sales pitch is all wrong" and even "Never get him out of the house."

By this time Logan was starting to laugh and he could feel his previous mood begin to lift. Finally there was a loud thumping sound followed by a curse and then a new, breathless voice came on the line.

"Hey Logan, Roger here," there was a slight emphasis on the names as if they were a joke unto themselves. "I can't talk long seeing as how Dan's bound to get up any minute, but I know you're probably there anyway and just pretending not to be so rest assured that we will be at your house in a few hours and that you will be coming back to ours to enjoy the movie. Just thought I'd give you a heads up." And then there was a click and the call was ended before Logan found out if Dan did indeed get up and pummel Roger. But knowing those two, he imagined it would turn out that way.

Logan went back towards the table and then stood beside it, looking down at the newspaper. The front page was covered with politics, war, and murder. But that was not what had bothered him. The article he had been preoccupied by was found in the corner of the fifth page, a small, non-important and non-threatening article. But it's words were enough to send chills down Logan's spine. This was why he had come back, this was the new problem that had to be dealt with, and quickly before it got out of hand. The world was troubled enough without this new threat that could easily dwarf all the recent problems.

The article itself did not mention anything about Mount Doom, just that an ancient volcano had been found in the middle of a ruined civilization. They had found the ancient city first, the findings bringing excitement to archaeologists everywhere but bothering little else. But now the volcano was found too, and that meant the archaeologists were getting more inquisitive, closer to tampering with things that should be left alone.

Logan moved away from the table and the newspaper. There was no need to start worrying about it now, he told himself, there was no need to get all worked up over it. Besides, there was still a chance that the volcano was just that, an ancient volcano. He still did not have any concrete proof that it was in fact the Mountain of Fire.

Logan made his way into the living room and lowered himself onto the large couch seated in front of an equally large television. But he did not turn it on, he hardly watched T.V., and instead thought of his most immediate problem.

How he was going to deal with Roger and Dan.

They were coming over, of that he was certain. There would be nothing he could do to dissuade them from that. Once they got it into their heads that Logan was being too reclusive again they used any excuse to harass him. And the release of the latest Lord of the Rings movie was enough to do so.

Logan laughed slightly as he envisioned his evening. Roger was particularly obsessed with the movies, and he would end up being pummeled by Dan again before the night was over, for he would undoubtedly be recounting tales and facts about what was going on behind the scenes while they watched.

For his own part, Logan was only mildly interested in the movies, and if it weren't for Roger and Dan he would not have seen them at all. Dan had not been lying when he had said they had dragged him to the theaters. It wasn't that he was against the movies, per say, they just made him slightly uncomfortable.

Logan drifted in his thoughts, thinking of various and unrelated things, and it was some time before he glanced over at the clock. And when he did he bolted upright. Immediately getting to his feet, Logan shook his head. He had to stop doing that. Besides, Roger and Dan would be here any minute. They never failed to arrive on time and even sometimes early when it came to delivering Logan from his 'recluseness'.

Logan hurried into the bedroom. He was not even properly dressed yet. He was wearing old jeans and a slightly faded T-shirt. He could not go out in public dressed as thus, even if it was only over to Roger and Dan's house.

Logan glanced outside his large window. It was slightly overcast outside and the wind was starting to pick up. Logan traded his jeans for loose black slacks and a dark green sweater replaced his old T-shirt. He was just finishing pulling on his light loafers when he heard the doorbell. Resigning himself to his fate, Logan rose from the bed he had been sitting on and made his way to the front room.

As soon as he had slid back the chain on the door and undid the bolt, the door swung open on its own accord. He should have known Roger would not be so formal as to actually wait for Logan himself to open the door.

"It's been too long!" Roger proclaimed, grabbing the dignified Logan in a large hug before Logan could get out of the way.

As Logan fought for breath in the overly tight embrace, he looked over Roger's shoulder and saw his twin brother standing in the hallway outside.

Dan gave a small nod, "Legolas."

Legolas finally managed to extract himself from Roger's grip. "Elladan," he answered, then turning his attentions back to the overzealous one, "and Elrohir."

Elrohir grinned. "Please, just call me Roger." He paused to think about it. "No, better yet, just keep it Elrohir." Then, forgetting all about the names, Elrohir grabbed Legolas by the hand and pulled him out the door.

"Wait," Legolas protested, "I need my keys."

Elrohir did not relent, however, and Elladan, sighing, stepped past the struggling pair and over to the low coffee table that the keys were on. He grabbed them, held them high to show Legolas he had them, and then all three went through the door with Elladan closing and locking the door behind them.

"I can follow you on my own," Legolas continued to struggle with Elrohir's grip on his wrist.

"Nonsense, I don't want you coming up with a sudden excuse to miss one of the best experiences of your life," Elrohir said cheerfully.

"I'm coming already, you know that I am coming."

Elrohir glanced at Legolas with a raised brow and then, suddenly, released him.

Legolas frowned and massaged his freed wrist. Elladan was walking beside him. "He gets overly excited," he said.

"One would think after all this time he would learn to calm down," Legolas said with a scowl.

Elrohir glanced over his shoulder at the two of them. "Where's the fun in that? Honestly, if I were more like you two I would have bored myself to death long ago."

Elladan and Legolas exchanged a glance. "Meaning he has no tact," Elladan said.

Elrohir pretended not to hear and only continued on down the hallway to the elevators that would take them down to the parking garage.

As they climbed into the elevator, Legolas contemplated telling the twins about his recent findings in the newspaper, that Mount Doom had possibly been found. But one look at their faces made him keep his mouth closed.

I'll tell them later, Legolas promised himself, no need to ruin the whole evening with useless worry.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: My deepest thanks already for the reviews, I own nothing that Tolkien came up with, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 2

The ending credits of Return of the King began to roll and Elrohir burst into enthusiastic applause. Elladan stood and went over to turn the lights back on while Elrohir continued his standing ovation.

"Oh isn't that just the best thing ever?" Elrohir asked, wiping away imaginary tears.

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Despite all that was wrong?"

Elrohir looked down at him with a slightly scornful expression. "You're just mad because of that Bloom character playing you. But you have to admit, he looks an awful lot like you."

"He looks nothing like me," Legolas said, shifting his eyes away and tossing a lock of long blonde hair over his shoulder. Then he sighed and slid his blue-gray eyes back over to the amused Elrohir. "Well, how would you feel if they had cast you in the movie?"

"I only grieve for the wasted possibility," Elrohir said solemnly. "They could have found an even more smashing individual to play us, then nobody would have even noticed the blonde elf poncing across the screen."

Legolas narrowed his eyes and his lips tightened into a thin line.

"Do not listen to him Legolas," Elladan said returning to stand in front of the overstuffed couch. "At least you were not an orc."

Elrohir looked indignant at the accusation. "Was it my fault for wanting to be a part of cinematic history?"

Elladan smirked. "No, of course not. Because it was not bad enough that you traveled all the way to New Zealand to be an extra, but then they cast you as an orc. That's irony right there for you."

Legolas laughed and Elrohir wisely let the matter drop. He instead stepped over to turn off the great speakers that had provided earth-shaking realism during the movie. Legolas suddenly remembered the article he had read earlier and decided now would be the best time to bring it up.

"Speaking of which," he said slowly, "I think they finally found it."

Elrohir turned from the speakers and Elladan's bemused expression became serious. "The mountain of fire?" Elladan asked in a low voice.

Legolas nodded.

Elrohir sat down in a chair facing them and Elladan perched on the arm of the sofa. "Are you certain?" Elrohir said.

Legolas sighed. "Not entirely certain, but I read an article in the newspaper about it today. It said archaeologists discovered an ancient volcano in the remains of the city they had already found. The city we thought was Mordor."

Elrohir sat back. "The locations were correct," he said. "But it can't mean anything, can it? The humans don't know what it is."

"Some of them might," Legolas answered. "And it does not matter if they do or not, our only concern is with the descendents."

The two brothers exchanged a glance. It had been a few years since they had talked about this, since the ancient city had been found, and they had hoped that the problem would simply go away, that nothing would truly happen. But now it didn't seem that way.

"Is this what our father told you would happen?" Elladan asked quietly.

Legolas shook his head. "Elrond told me nothing, it was Mithrandir who came to me. He was the one who heard of Elrond's concerns. But he said I would only have to worry if I did not hear back from him."

"And have you heard from him lately?" Elrohir asked.

Legolas was looking at the floor. "Not since the last time, fifty years ago."

The three sat in silence for a few moments. The mood had definitely shifted, and the air seemed heavier now, almost like it was thick with tension and nervous anticipation.

Finally Elladan broke the silence. "Was this the only reason Mithrandir asked you to come back?"

Legolas was still staring at the floor and said, "To prevent Mount Doom being found again? No."

"I don't mean that," Elladan said, then he took a breath. "I mean, the descendents. What exactly did he tell you about them?"

Legolas finally flicked his eyes upwards. Elladan's expression was grave, and Elrohir, who was decidedly less serious then Elladan on any occasion, was leaning forward staring intently at Legolas.

"He did not say much, only that if the mountain regained its power they would too, and that in turn would create more dark power..."

"And then Sauron can return," Elrohir said.

Legolas shook his head. This was the first time they had talked in detail about the new threat since Legolas had returned fifty years ago.

"No, Sauron cannot return. When the One Ring was destroyed, he was destroyed, his spirit could not linger anymore."

"Then what's the concern?" Elrohir said, sitting back. "If Sauron cannot come back, then what is the worse we can fear?"

"Sauron may not be able to come back, but something else will take his spot," Elladan answered for Legolas.

Legolas nodded, staring at the television screen that continued to roll its credits. "But nothing will be able to take his spot," he said softly, "as long as we stop the descendents."

"And how do we do that? How do we even find them?" Elrohir asked.

Legolas didn't lift his gaze. "I know not. Mithrandir said he would be the only one able to identify them."

"And that was before he left you fifty years ago," Elrohir finished. He sighed, "I always respected the ways of wizards, but they never seem to grasp the concept and urgency of time."

"And we do?" Elladan asked with a smirk.

Elrohir turned his dark eyes on his brother. There was no amusement found in their depths. "We do when we are forced to idly stand by and watch our world fall into darkness."

"The time of the elves is long over," Legolas said in a low voice, "this is no longer our world."

Elrohir was not fazed. "If you truly believed that, then you would have never come back."

Legolas finally looked up at him. "My loyalties are stronger than reason."

Elladan switched the subject. "If there are still descendents then," he said, "then what about the Numenor line? Or other elves? There has to be others left to help."

"There are elves," Legolas said, "Mithrandir said so and I have actually encountered a few. But they are mostly Moriquendi and hold no loyalties except for themselves. As for the Numenorean line, all the blood has been spent."

"You know for certain?"

"Not certain, but Mithrandir does not think so either." Legolas smiled faintly, "There will be no king to save man-kind this time."

All three elves fell silent at that. The atmosphere had darkened considerably, and now all were left with memories of those they had known before. And, invariably, their thoughts turned to death. And they had lived for so long, naturally there was a lot of death.


End file.
